Electric starter battery for large engines

ABSTRACT

A starting circuit for providing electric power to a starter motor of an internal combustion engine of outdoor power equipment is shown and described. The starting circuit includes a battery receptacle mounted on the outdoor power equipment and a starter battery that is received within the battery receptacle. The starter battery includes a battery controller and a series of battery cells contained within an outer housing. A plurality of high current pins provide electric power to the starter motor and auxiliary devices on the tractor/mower while a plurality of low current pins receives signals from the tractor/mower related to operation of the tractor/mower. A wireless transceiver is used to communicate information from the battery controller to a wireless device. The wireless device displays the received information to a user. The battery receptacle can be configured to include a dipstick receiver that receives an oil dipstick.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is based on and claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/445,838, filed Jan. 13, 2017,the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure generally relates to an electric starter batteryfor use with internal combustion engines. More specifically, the presentdisclosure relates to an electric starter battery and mounting andpositioning arrangements to provide the required electric power tooperate a starter motor for use in starting internal combustion engines,such as used in large lawn equipment, including riding lawn tractors andzero turn radius (ZTR) mowers.

ZTR mowers and lawn tractors are two types of popular lawn mowingequipment that include an internal combustion engine that provides powerfor both moving the mower/tractor and rotating one or more mowing bladesduring use. Each type of mower includes an internal combustion enginethat is started utilizing an electric starter motor. The electricstarter motor is typically powered by a lead acid battery, which must bemounted somewhere on the mower/tractor. Lead acid batteries have proveneffective in powering a starter motor for an internal combustion engine.However, lead acid batteries are costly, heavy and subject tomaintenance and charging demands.

The present disclosure provides an improved electric starter battery andreceiving receptacle for driving the starter motor of an internalcombustion engine. The improved electric starter battery providesenhanced communications and operation while reducing the size and weightof the electric starter battery as compared to a lead acid battery.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to an electric starter battery includinglithium ion battery cells to power a starter motor that operates tostart internal combustion engines of lawn equipment, such as riding lawntractors and ZTR mowers.

The electric starter battery is received within a receptacle mountedsomewhere on the mower/tractor. The receptacle receives the electricstarter battery and provides an electrical connection between thestarter battery and the starter motor. The electric starter batteryincludes a plurality of battery cells that are contained within anenclosed housing that also surrounds a printed circuit board thatincludes a mounted internal controller that controls the application ofelectric power from the battery to the starter motor.

The electric starter battery can include a wireless communicationtransceiver to transmit and receive wireless communication signals froma wireless device, such as a smartphone. The starter battery includes atleast two high current pins that provide the required driving current tothe starter motor and to auxiliary features/devices contained within thetractor/mower. A series of low current pins allow various differenttypes of signals to be relayed to the controller of the starter batterypack.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric starterbattery pack includes six lithium ion cells mounted within the enclosedhousing. A printed circuit board including the controller is containedwithin the housing. The housing of the starter battery includes one ormore buttons for user interaction with the controller contained withinthe outer housing. The starter battery pack can further include adisplay for relaying information from the starter battery pack to theuser, which can include the charge level of the cells contained withinthe battery pack.

The controller contained within the starter battery pack includes awireless transceiver for receiving wireless information and transmittingwireless information from the starter battery pack. The starter batterypack can communicate to a wireless device, such as a smartphone, suchthat the wireless device can display information from the starterbattery pack in real-time. The wireless device can transmit thisreceived information to remote locations for monitoring and analysis.

In one embodiment of the disclosure, the starter battery pack can beremoved from a receptacle mounted on the internal combustion engine. Thecontroller within the starter battery pack can identify the type ofengine and modify its operation based upon the type of identifiedengine.

In one embodiment of the disclosure, a wireless transceiver can beremovably coupled to the controller contained within the outer housing.The wireless transceiver is contained within a communication donglewhich allows the wireless transceiver to be added to the battery afterthe battery has been purchased by the user.

Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will bemade apparent from the following description taken together with thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carryingout the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an electrical schematic illustration of a prior art startingcircuit utilizing a lead acid battery;

FIG. 2 is an electrical schematic illustration of a first embodiment ofthe engine mounted electric starter battery of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the electric starter battery mountedremotely from the internal combustion engine;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the electric starter batteryaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a back view of the electric starter battery according to someembodiments;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the circuit board and battery cellsaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the electric starter battery according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view showing the front display of theelectric starter battery according to some embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the battery pin layout of oneembodiment of the present disclosure according to some embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the position of the electricstarter battery in a lawn tractor according to some embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the position of the electricstarter battery on a ZTR mower according to some embodiments;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the position of the electricstarter battery on a snowthrower according to some embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the electric starter batterybeneath the steering column of a lawn tractor according to someembodiments;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the electric starter batterymounted within a housing that incorporates the oil dipstick according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 15 shows the removal of the electric starter battery from thehousing of FIG. 14 according to some embodiments;

FIG. 16 illustrates one method of charging the electric starter batteryaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 17 illustrates a method of charging the electric starter batterywithout removal from the ZTR mower according to some embodiments;

FIG. 18 illustrates the wireless communication between the electricstarter battery and a wireless communication device according to someembodiments;

FIG. 19 illustrates the position of the wireless device within thesteering wheel of a lawn tractor according to some embodiments;

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternate method of wireless communicationbetween the electric starter battery and the wireless device accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 21 illustrates yet another alternate method of communicationbetween the electric starter battery and the wireless device accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 22 illustrates the use of RFID/NFC detection technology with theelectric starter battery according to some embodiments; and

FIG. 23 illustrates the identification of an engine by a wireless deviceand communication to the electric starter battery according to someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the electrical connections used for providingstarting power for the electric starter motor 10 of an internalcombustion engine 12 according to prior art systems. The prior artsystem shown includes a twelve volt lead acid battery 14 that isconnected to a starter solenoid 16. An engine controller 17 is used tocontrol the position of the starter solenoid 16 to selectively apply thestored battery power/current to the starter motor 10. The controller 18communicates control commands to the starter solenoid 16 through thecontrol line 19. In the system shown in FIG. 1, a PTO switch 20 andbrake switch 22 are connected in series and provide signals to thecontroller 18 such that the controller selectively supplies batterypower to the starter motor 10 only upon the PTO switch 20 and brake 22being in the desired position. Alternatively, the PTO switch 20 andbrake switch 22 can be connected directly to the starter solenoid 16such that the starter solenoid 16 can be moved to supply battery powerto the starter motor 10 only when the PTO switch 20 and brake switch 22are in the desired position. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is acommon, well known configuration for powering the starter motor 10 froma lead acid battery 14.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of the electric starter battery 24and system configuration constructed in accordance with the presentdisclosure. The electric starter battery 24 is no longer a lead acidbattery and instead is a battery pack preferably including a series oflithium ion cells that are connected to each other to provide therequired electric power to both operate the starter motor 10 and provideauxiliary power to auxiliary electrical components on the mower, such asthe lights, radio, display, etc. The electric starter battery 24includes a twelve-volt starting output line 26 that is connecteddirectly to the starter motor 10. A twelve-volt auxiliary output 28 isconnected to the controller 18, which in turn can selectively provideauxiliary power to components on the mower for powering the componentswhen the internal combustion engine is not operating. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 2, the electric starter battery 24 is mounted directly tothe internal combustion engine 12 in a manner that will be described inmuch greater detail below.

FIG. 3 illustrates another alternate embodiment of the presentdisclosure that is functionally equivalent to the embodiment of FIG. 2but in which the electric starter battery 24 is mounted at a locationremote from the engine 12. The electric starter battery 24 is connectedto the starter motor 10 and a controller 18 in a similar manner as shownin FIG. 2. The electric starter battery 24 in FIG. 3 is also a lithiumion battery that includes an output line 26 dedicated solely to thestarter motor 10 and a second output 28 that is dedicated to auxiliaryfeatures or devices on the tractor/mower and is controlled by thecontroller 18.

FIG. 4 illustrates a first embodiment of the electric starter battery 24constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.Although one embodiment of the electric starter battery 24 is shown inFIG. 4, it should be understood that various other physicalconfigurations for the electric starter battery 24 could be utilizedwhile operating within the scope of the present disclosure. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 4, the electric starter battery 24 includes amolded plastic outer housing 30 that surrounds the remaining componentsof the starter battery 24. The outer housing 30 is sized to receive andcontain a printed circuit board 32 and a series of lithium ion batterycells 34, which are shown in FIG. 6. The printed circuit board 32includes at least a controller 33 that is able to monitor the state ofcharge on the battery cells 34. The controller 33 can be programmed toreceive additional information related to the operation of the lawntractor/mower and relay this information using wireless communication toa wireless device of the user in the manner to be described below.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the electric starter battery includes sixlithium ion battery cells 34 that are connected to each other in series.However, a different number of cells and a different type of connectionbetween the individual cells could be utilized depending upon therequirements of the starter motor. Six battery cells 34 have been foundto be sufficient to power the starter motor and the auxiliary devicesfor most outdoor power equipment, including lawn tractors and ZTRmowers.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the outer housing 30 includes a display 36that can provide information from the battery controller to a user,which at a minimum will include the charging status of the batterycells. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the front face of the batteryhousing 30 includes a battery check button 38 and a wireless sync button39. Although two buttons are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4, itshould be understood that only one or more than two buttons could beincluded on the front face of the outer housing 30. When the batterycheck button 38 is depressed, the battery controller contained withinthe housing 30 determines the state of charge of the battery cells 34and displays this status to the user. The wireless sync button 39 can bedepressed by the user to initiate a pairing process with an externalcommunication device, such as a smartphone, as will be described in muchgreater detail below.

FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of the battery housing 30. As shown inthe back view, the outer housing 30 includes a horizontal interfacesurface 40 that includes a series of high voltage and low voltageconnection pins, the configuration of which will be described in muchgreater detail below with reference to FIG. 9. The low voltageconnection pins are contained within the center opening 41 while thehigh voltage connection pins are each in separate connections slotsformed in the outer housing 30. In addition to the interface surface 40,the housing 30 includes a back face section 42 that is positionedadjacent to the circuit board 32 when the circuit board 32 is positionedwithin the battery housing 30.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the detailed components that combine toform the electric starter battery 24. The outer housing 30 includes afront face plate 44 that is received on the base portion 46. The baseportion 46 defines a pair of space side walls 47 connected by a bottomwall 49. The base portion 46 receives the back portion 48 to generallydefine an open interior of the outer housing. Each of the base portion46, back portion 48 and front face plate 44 are preferably formed from amolded plastic material and are assembled together in a known manner.The combination of the face plate 44, base portion 46 and back portion48 surround the circuit board 32 and series of battery cells 34. A meshcovering 50 is positioned between the face plate 44 and the batterycells 34 to allow airflow out of and into the enclosed housing 30 tocool the individual battery cells 34. The battery check button 38 and awireless sync button 39 are each supported on an angled front facesection 51 of the face plate 44 to provide a stable mounting platformfor the user to depress either of the two buttons. The display 36 isalso mounted to the front face section 51 for viewing by the user whenthe battery 24 is received on the outdoor power equipment. FIG. 8 is anassembled view of the electric starter battery 24 shown in FIG. 7 andconstructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 provides a graphic illustration and brief summary of the pinlayout that is accessible through the interface surface 40 shown in FIG.5. In the embodiment shown, the battery pin layout includes three highcurrent pins and twelve low current pins. The high current pins are usedto supply electric power from the battery while the low current pins areused to relay information from the battery controller and receiveinformation signals that are relayed to the battery controller fromother components on the lawn tractor/ZTR mower. The information istypically related either to the battery operation or operation of theoutdoor power equipment. The high current pins are separated andshielded from the low current pins and from each other. Although oneconfiguration in shown, it should be understood that a different numberof pins could be utilized while operating within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, pin 52 is a twelve-volt high currentstarter pin that is connected to the starter motor, such as through theline 26 shown in FIG. 2. The controller 18 shown in FIG. 2 selectivelyapplies the voltage and current from the high current pin 52 to thestarter motor 10 when desired to start the internal combustion engine12. High current pin 54 is a conventional ground pin that is connectedto the chassis or the engine. The final high current pin is atwelve-volt auxiliary output/charging input pin 56. The twelve-voltauxiliary output/charging input pin 56 is connected to the alternatorsuch that the alternator can recharge the electric starter batteryduring operation of the internal combustion engine. When the internalcombustion engine is not operating, pin 56 provides twenty amp auxiliarypower to the electric components on the tractor/mower, such asheadlights, a radio or other electrical components.

The battery pack includes a series of low current pins that are groupedin the low current interface area 57. The first low current pin is anenable pin 58 that is connected to the key switch of the outdoor powerequipment. Through this enable pin 58, the battery controller locatedwithin the electric starter battery 24 can determine whether the keyswitch is in the auxiliary position. When in this position, the battery24 will supply electric power to the auxiliary devices when the internalcombustion engine is not running. During operation, electric power issupply to these auxiliary devices from the alternator.

The next pin is the starter enable pin 60 that is connected in line withthe PTO and clutch. The starter enable pin 60 is inline with the PTO andclutch and receives an input from the key switch to enable starting ofthe internal combustion engine. Pins 62, 64 and 66 are additionalelective pins that can be used to carry out advanced features as setforth in FIG. 9. Pin 62 can be connected to a push-to-start button ifthe outdoor power equipment includes a push-to-start button. Pin 64 is asafety enable pin that is connected inline with the PTO and clutch. Pin66 receives information from the magneto, which allows the controllercontained within the electric starter battery to monitor RPMs,operational time of the engine and perform engine shutdown.

The pin layout shown in FIG. 9 includes three additional pins 68, 70 and72. Pins 68 and 70 are connected to the two coils of the engine to aidin low RPM starting, spark control and for creating waste sparks. Pin 72is a dedicated charging input pin that can be connected to thealternator and is safe for charging lithium ion batteries. The remainingpins shown in FIG. 9 can be used for additional enhancements in thefuture, including enhanced communication, identification of the batteryand programming.

FIG. 10 illustrates a first possible application for the electricstarter battery 24. In the embodiment shown, the electric starterbattery 24 is received within a receptacle 80 that is mounted to theinternal combustion engine 12 of a lawn tractor 84 near the startermotor. The mounting of the receptacle 80 to the engine creates veryclose positioning between the starter battery 24 and the starter motor.Such location will reduce the amount of copper wiring needed between thestarter battery and the starter motor, thereby reducing both materialcosts and assembly costs. When mounted in this location, the electricstarter battery 24 will be concealed beneath the hood 82 of the tractor84 during operation of the tractor. The position shown in FIG. 10 placesthe battery 24 under the plenum, which directs outside air onto theengine and will thus cool the starter battery 24.

FIG. 11 illustrates the same electric starter battery 24 mounted to theinternal combustion engine 12 of a ZTR mower 86. The electric starterbattery 24 includes the similar receptacle 80 and the combination of thereceptacle and electric starter battery are located near the startermotor of the ZTR mower 86. In this embodiment, the electric starterbattery 24 will be viewable to the user during operation, which may bebeneficial to monitor the state of charge on the starter batter 24.

FIG. 12 illustrates the electric starter battery 24 mounted to anothertype of outdoor power equipment, namely a snowthrower 88. In theembodiment shown, the starter battery 24 is mounted to the engine of thesnowthrower 88 utilizing the same receptacle 80 described in FIGS. 10and 11. The receptacle 80 is located near and electrically connected tothe starter motor of the snowthrower 88 and in a location where thestarter battery 24 can be viewed and easily accessed.

FIG. 13 illustrates the electric starter battery 24 mounted beneath thesteering column 90 of the lawn tractor 84. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 13, the receptacle 92 is slightly modified from the pastembodiments. The receptacle 92 performs the same functions as thereceptacles described previously, namely providing a secure receivinglocation and connecting the starter battery 24 to the starter motor. Arelease button 94 allows for the easy removal of the electric storagebattery 24 for charging or other replacement.

FIG. 14 illustrates yet another contemplated mounting arrangement forthe electric starter battery 24 on the internal combustion engine 12. Inthe embodiment shown, the receptacle 96 is designed to integrate withand receive the oil dipstick 98. The receptacle 96 is modified from thepast embodiments to include a dipstick receiving tube 100 that includesa lower end 102 received on the conventional access opening 103 on theinternal combustion engine. The access opening 103 provides access to anoil sump of the internal combustion engine in a known manner. Thedipstick receiving tube 100 is molded with the battery receiving portion105 which is design to receive the battery 24 in the same manner as thereceptacles described above. The dipstick receiving tube 100 includes aninternal opening that guides the dipstick 98 into the oil sump such thatthe level of oil in the oil sump can be determined.

The battery receiving portion 105 includes a release button 104 thatallows the operator to release the electric starter battery 24 forremoval as desired. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the lower end102 of the dipstick receiving tube 100 could include an oil level sensorthat would be positioned to sense the oil level in the oil sump. The oillevel sensor would operate to relay information to the controllercontained within the electric starter battery related to the sensedlevel of oil. The controller in the starter battery could then relay thesensed oil level to a wireless device, such as a smartphone, which canprovide real time alerts to the operator when the oil level falls belowa minimum level. The receptacle 96 includes a strap 106 surrounding thestarter motor 10 to help hold the receptacle 96 on the engine andstarter motor 10.

FIG. 15 illustrates the electric starter battery 24 being removed fromthe battery receiving portion 105 of the receptacle 96. As can be seenin FIG. 15, the receptacle 96 includes the various high currentcontactors and low current pins that engage with the battery pin layoutdiscussed previously. Since the electric starter battery 24 can beeasily removed and inserted into the receptacle 96, the entire battery24 could function as a “key” to enable operation of the lawntractor/mower. In such an embodiment, when the battery 24 is insertedinto the receptacle 96, the insertion would “enable” operation of a pushbutton starting device or ignition key switch, depending on theconfiguration of the outdoor power equipment. If the battery 24 is notpresent within the receptacle 96, the engine cannot start and would thusbe disabled. In this manner, the battery 24 would function as a key forthe tractor/mower. The size and shape of the battery 24 could bemodified in such an embodiment to make removal easier and moredesirable.

FIG. 16 illustrates one contemplated method of charging the electricstarter battery 24. As described previously, during normal operation ofthe outdoor power equipment, the alternator on the equipment wouldcharge the starter battery 24. However, if the starter battery chargebecomes depleted for whatever reason, it may be necessary to rechargethe battery at a location removed from the equipment. In thisembodiment, a wall mounted outlet 108 receives the charging plug 110which is connected by cord 112 to the low voltage interface plug 114.The low voltage interface plug 114 includes a series of aligned contacts116 that are received within the series of low current contact pinsformed within the interface surface 40. Display 36 allows the user todetermine the charge status when the battery 24 is being charged in themanner shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 17 illustrates yet another way to charge the electric storagebattery from an external power source while the battery is still mountedon the mower. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a charging plug 118can be uncovered and connected to the wall outlet through a similar cord112 and plug 110. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a femalereceptacle 120 receives the plug 118. The embodiment shown in FIG. 17would allow the electric storage battery 24 to be recharged when theelectric storage battery remains mounted on the mower. Such situationmay be required if the electric starter battery is used to operateauxiliary equipment on the mower without starting the mower, which wouldresult in complete discharge of the electric starter battery.

FIG. 18 illustrates additional enhancements made possible utilizing theelectric starter battery 24 of the present disclosure. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 18, the circuit board 32 (FIG. 6) contained within theouter housing is designed to include the battery controller and awireless communication transceiver. The wireless transceiver cantransmit wireless signals from the battery controller utilizing knownwireless communication techniques, such as Bluetooth 122. When a userdepresses the sync button 39, the wireless transceiver sends out aBluetooth signal that can be received by an external wireless device124, such as a smartphone. Once the battery controller of the starterbattery 24 and the wireless device 124 have been synched together in awell known manner, communication can occur between the two devices.Since the wireless device 124 can communicate using telephone datachannels, the information received at the wireless device 124 can beshared to remote locations for monitoring. As an example, informationfrom the tractor/mower could be streamed in real time from the battery24 to the wireless device 124 and then to a remote location that caninclude monitoring software. This software could be at the manufactureror at the users for performance monitoring. Such performance monitoringwould be able to predict problems with the mower operation or alert theuser when some monitored parameter is out of a desired operating range.The operator can also download computer application software directlyonto the wireless device 124 to receive information from the starterbattery 24 and monitor mower/tractor performance in real time. Thewireless communication between the starter battery 24 and the wirelessdevice 124 would open a wide variety of possible communicationapplications.

The communication between the wireless device 124 and the batterycontroller of the starter battery 24 could be continuous duringoperation of the outdoor power equipment, which would allow the user tomonitor operating parameters and conditions. As shown in FIG. 19, in oneembodiment of the present disclosure, the wireless device 124 can bemounted within the center of the steering wheel 126 to provide adashboard display 128 for the user. The dashboard display 128 can beconfigured as desired by the application software on the wireless deviceand can display a wide variety of tractor/mower related information tothe operator of the tractor/mower. This information can include currentengine speed, oil temperature, a fuel gauge, oil pressure, number ofhours used, as well as other information that may be interesting oruseful for the operator. By using the wireless device 124 as thedashboard display, the cost of a dedicated display for the tractor canbe eliminated. Further, the application software on the wireless devicecan be updated by the user and the manufacturer to add additionalfeature and functions.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 19, a pair of gripping brackets 130 ismounted to the steering wheel to securely hold the wireless device 124in position on the steering wheel 126. The gripping brackets 130 can beformed from a flexible, resilient material that protects the wirelessdevice 124. The gripping brackets 130 can be adjusted on the steeringwheel to accommodate wireless devices 124 having different sizes andfrom different manufacturers. The wireless device 124 is positionedclose enough to the electric starter battery 24 such that the electricstarter battery 24 can relay and receive wireless signals from thewireless device 124.

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the starter battery 24 inwhich the back face 42 of the starter battery 24 includes a receivingslot 132 that can receive a communication dongle 134. The dongle 134interfaces with contacts 136 to communicate with the battery controllermounted to the circuit board contained within the starter battery pack.The dongle 134 includes a wireless transceiver and thus can be used toadd wireless communication to the battery 24 if a user/operator wishesto upgrade at a date after purchase. By removing the wirelesstransceiver from within the starter battery 24, the initial purchasecost of the starter battery 24 can be reduced for some users whileallowing the user to add the communication feature if desired in thefuture.

FIG. 21 illustrates another type of dongle 138 to permit wirelesscommunication with the wireless device 124. Again, the dongle 138includes the wireless transceiver that communicates with the batterycontroller mounted on the circuit board contained within the starterbattery 24 and can be added by a user/owner at a later date shouldwireless communication become desirable.

FIG. 22 illustrates an RFID/NFC chip 140 added to the internal circuitboard within the battery 24. The RFID/NFC chip 140 is positioned behindthe back face 42 of the outer housing of the battery 24. The RFID/NFCchip can be used to identify the type of engine/equipment being used andpowered by the electric starter battery. In this manner, the controllerof the electric starter battery can configure operation of the batteryand various other applications based upon the type of engine beingstarted. As an example, a snowthrower engine may have different crankingrequirements and timing for the starter motor due to the cold weatheroperation environment as compared to a ZTR mower. If the controller ofthe battery 24 can identify the type of engine and application, thecontroller can modify the operation of the battery pack to optimizeperformance.

FIG. 23 illustrates the use of the wireless device 124 to scan a uniquecode 142 applied to the engine 12. Through this code 142, the wirelessdevice 124 can identify the type of engine and application and relaythis information to the battery controller of the starter battery 24.Upon receiving this information, the starter battery 24 can configureits operation since different features may be required depending uponthe type of application.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the inventionis defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur tothose skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be withinthe scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do notdiffer from the literal language of the claims, or if they includeequivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from theliteral languages of the claims.

We claim:
 1. A starting circuit for providing electric power to astarter motor to start an internal combustion engine of outdoor powerequipment, comprising: a battery receptacle mounted on the outdoor powerequipment and electrically connected to the starter motor; and a starterbattery configured for receipt in the battery receptacle, the starterbattery comprising: an outer housing; a plurality of battery cellscontained within the outer housing; a printed circuit board including abattery controller mounted to the printed circuit board; and an array ofconnector pins accessible through the outer housing.
 2. The startingcircuit of claim 1 wherein the array of connector pins includes aplurality of high current pins and a plurality of low current pins. 3.The starting circuit of claim 2 wherein one of the high current pins isconnectable to the starter motor when the starter battery pack isreceived in the battery receptacle.
 4. The starting circuit of claim 3wherein one of the high current pins is connectable to power auxiliarydevices of the outdoor power equipment.
 5. The starting circuit of claim1 wherein the printed circuit board includes a wireless transceiver incommunication with the battery controller.
 6. The starting circuit ofclaim 5 wherein the starter battery pack includes a synchronizationbutton.
 7. The starting circuit of claim 1 further comprising aremovable wireless transceiver that is received on the outer housing andin communication with the battery controller.
 8. Outdoor power equipmentcomprising: an internal combustion engine; an electric starter motorcoupled to the internal combustion engine to start the internalcombustion engine; a battery receptacle mounted on the outdoor powerequipment and electrically connected to the starter motor; and a starterbattery configured for receipt in the battery receptacle, the starterbattery comprising: an outer housing; a plurality of battery cellscontained within the outer housing; a printed circuit board including abattery controller mounted to the printed circuit board; and an array ofconnector pins accessible through the outer housing.
 9. The outdoorpower equipment of claim 8 wherein the array of connector pins includesa plurality of high current pins and a plurality of low current pins.10. The outdoor power equipment of claim 9 wherein one of the highcurrent pins is connectable to the starter motor when the starterbattery pack is received in the battery receptacle.
 11. The outdoorpower equipment of claim 10 wherein one of the high current pins isconnectable to power auxiliary devices of the outdoor power equipment.12. The outdoor power equipment of claim 8 wherein the printed circuitboard includes a wireless transceiver in communication with the batterycontroller.
 13. The outdoor power equipment of claim 12 furthercomprising a pair of gripping brackets mounted to a steering wheel andsized to receive an external communication device that is in wirelesscommunication with the wireless transceiver.
 14. The outdoor powerequipment of claim 8 wherein the battery receptacle is mounted to theinternal combustion engine.
 15. The outdoor power equipment of claim 8wherein the battery receptacle is mounted beneath a steering wheel. 16.Outdoor power equipment comprising: an internal combustion engine; anoil dipstick that extends through an access port and into an oil sump ofthe internal combustion engine; an electric starter motor coupled to theinternal combustion engine to start the internal combustion engine; abattery receptacle mounted on the outdoor power equipment andelectrically connected to the starter motor, the battery receptacleincluding a dipstick receiver that receives the oil dipstick; and astarter battery configured for receipt in the battery receptacle, thestarter battery comprising: an outer housing; a plurality of batterycells contained within the outer housing.
 17. The outdoor powerequipment of claim 16 wherein the starter battery includes a wirelesstransceiver mounted to a printed circuit board contained within theouter housing.
 18. The outdoor power equipment of claim 17 furthercomprising an oil sensor positioned to determine the amount of oil inthe oil sump and to communicate with the wireless transceiver.